For my people have committed two evils: they have abandoned me, the fountain of living water, and dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water! Jeremiah 2:13
Fountain – spring, of source of life, joy, purification
Cistern – pit, well
Her nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns but find no water, so they return with empty jars. Jeremiah 14:3
As we continue to dig into the book of Jeremiah, we pick up in chapter 14 with the word given to him about the drought that was to come. We also find that this is one of the times that Adonai told him not to pray for the people or their welfare. Jeremiah’s response was that the prophets were telling the people, “You won’t see war, you won’t have famine; but I will give you secure peace in this place.” (v13) Adonai’s response for these prophets was harsh. “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I didn’t send them, order them, or speak to them. They are prophesying false visions to you, worthless divinations, the delusions of their own minds. Therefore, concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name, whom I did not send, yet they say, ‘There will be neither war nor famine in this land’ – it will be war and famine that will destroy these prophets.” (v14-15)
As I continued to read this chapter, I asked Adonai what it was that He was wanting me to see and learn from all of this, and again He made me look inward. When I wasn’t walking with the Lord, I convinced myself that everything was great and that my life was fine, peaceful. That there was no war or drought. These were false visions I convinced myself of. I had dug myself a cistern, a pit, making myself believe that I had built a well, but it was just a hole in the ground with no water in it to draw from. The jars of my life were empty because my life was a spiritual desert and wasteland. My life was in drought. Then, I found myself not unlike the Samaritan woman at the well with Yeshua sitting and waiting for me. And like that woman, He offered me the waters from the fountain of living water and with one drink, I was able to see my life for what it truly was. Empty without Him. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will shepherd them, will lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Revelation 7:17
Although Jeremiah is heavy with prophecy and judgment, it is also laced with beautiful words of promise for those who put their trust in Him.
Adonai, my strength, my fortress, my refuge in time of trouble, the nations will come to you from the ends of the earth, saying, “Our ancestors inherited nothing but lies, futile idols, completely useless.” Can a person make himself gods? (In fact they aren’t gods at all.) Jeremiah 16:19-20
Blessed is the man who trusts in Adonai; Adonai will be his security. He will be like a tree planted near water; it spreads out its roots by the river; it does not notice when heat comes; and its foliage is luxuriant; it is not anxious in a year of drought, but it keeps on yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8
Heal me, Adonai and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are my praise. Jeremiah 17:14
What incredible declarations! When we are in the turmoil of life, when the enemy is at the gates, when it seems there is no hope and no peace and all is uncertain, it is then that we can stand on these promises. They were penned in a time of turbulence and our Abba is no respecter of person, so they hold for us as well. In these days of uncertainty, He IS my strength. He IS my fortress. He IS my refuge in times of trouble. I trust Him and He IS my security. He HAS planted me near that living water so that my roots can spread out and grow deep in Him, and in this heat and drought, I will not be anxious because I will be full of life and continue to bear fruit. Not because of me, but because I am IN Him. Healing? Oh yes, He certainly does heal! I have written testimony about how mighty His healing power is. Saved? Only because of the precious blood of Yeshua, and He IS without a doubt my praise.
Chapter 17 closes with a topic that is one that I have began looking at with more seriousness of late. Shabbat, the Sabbath. While Christianity gathers on Sunday, Shabbat actually begins at sundown on Friday night until sundown on Saturday. [8] Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God. [9] You have six days to labor and do all your work, [10] but the seventh day is a Shabbat for Adonai your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work – not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates of your property. [11] For in six days, Adonai made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why Adonai blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself. Exodus 20:8-11 This is the fourth commandment given to Moses. As Hebrew letters are also numbers, this is represented by the letter Dalet (ד). Dalet means door or gateway. It also means binding with God. By Hebrew definition, Shabbat means to cease, to rest, to desist (from labor), put an end to, leave, put away, (make to) rest, rid, still, take away. It is made up of the letters Shin, Bet, and Tav. שבת Shabbat is not just about physical rest, it also about spiritual rest. It is a picture of a coming day set aside to rest in Messiah. Yeshua said in Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
The book of Hebrews discusses Shabbat in chapter 4 (coincidence that the fourth commandment is discussed in chapter 4? If I believed in them, I would say maybe.) [1] Therefore let us be terrified of the possibility that, even though the promise of entering is rest remains, any one of you might be judged to have fallen short of it; [2] for Good News has also been proclaimed to us, just as it was to them. But the message they heard didn’t do them any good, because those who heard it did not combine it with trust. [3] For it is we who have trusted who enter the rest. It is just as he said, “And in my anger, I swore that they would not enter my rest.” He swore this even though his works have been in existence since the founding of the universe. [4] For there is a place where it is said concerning the seventh day, “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” [5] And once more, our present text says, “They will not enter my rest.” [6] Therefore, since it still remains for some to enter it, and those who received the Good News earlier did not enter, [7] he again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David, so long afterwards, in the text already given, “Today, if you hear God’s voice, don’t harden your hearts.” [8] For if Y’hoshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later of another “day.” [9] So there remains a Shabbat-keeping for God’s people. [10] For the one who has entered God’s rest has also rested from his own works, as God did from his. [11] Therefore, let us do our best to enter that rest; so that no one will fall sort because of the same kind of disobedience. Hebrews 4:1-11
Shabbat is holy, it is set apart and Adonai sent Jeremiah to all the gates of Jerusalem, starting at the People’s Gate to test the people to see if they would keep this commandment. With this simple test, it would demonstrate the people’s willingness to obey Adonai. It is a test they would fail.
[19] Then Adonai said this to me: “Go and stand at the People’s Gate, where the kings of Y’hudah go in and out, and at all the gates of Yerushalayim; [20] and say to them: ‘Kings of Y’hudah, all Y’hudah and all living in Yerushalayim who enter through these gates, hear the word of Adonai! [21] Here is what Adonai says: “If you value your lives, don’t carry anything on Shabbat or bring it in through the gates of Yerushalayim; [22] don’t carry anything out of your houses on Shabbat; and don’t do any work. Instead, make Shabbat a holy day. I ordered your ancestors to do this, [23] but they neither listened nor paid attention; rather, they stiffened their necks, so that they wouldn’t have to hear or receive instruction. [24] However, if you will pay careful heed to me,” says Adonai “And carry nothing through the gates of this city on Shabbat, but instead make shabbat a day which is holy and not for doing work; [25] then kings and princes occupying the throne of David will enter through the gates of this city, riding in chariots and on horses. They, their princes, the people of Y’hudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim will enter; and this city will be inhabited forever. [26] They will come from the cities of Y’hudah, form the places surrounding Yerushalayim, from the land of Binyamin, from the Sh’felah, from the hills and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings, frankincense, and thanksgiving sacrifices to the house of Adonai. [27] But if you will not obey me and make Shabbat a holy day and not carry loads through the gates of Yerushalayim on Shabbat, then I will set its gates on fire; it will burn up the palaces of Yerushalayim and not be quenched.” Jeremiah 17:19-27
As I try to focus on Shabbat and make it about entering into His presence and spending time with Him, I have started reading the Parashot, the Shabbat scripture readings. The Torah portions, from the prophets, and the New Testament (B’rit Hadashah) tie ins. Not just to read them, but to meditate and reflect on them and what it is that He wants to share with me from them. There are multiple recourses to obtain the readings. I have them listed in the back of my Bible (The Complete Jewish Study Bible), Rabbi Jason Sobel has weekly Torah Portions that you can sign up for at his website, www.fusionglobal.org, One For Israel has commentary with video on their website, www.oneforisrael.org, and others can be found with a simple browser search. This coming weekend, the Torah portions will start its new cycle and begins with Genesis 1:1-6:8. It is a beautiful opportunity to dig deeper into the Word of Adonai, as well as into deeper communion with Him. Recently when I was praying, I felt in my spirit the words, “Seek more, speak less.” No longer do I want to take the things of Adonai for granted, because for far too long, I have. No longer do I want a day to go by that I haven’t spent it seeking Him. In the midst of the daily chores of life, I want Him to be in them middle of even the most mundane of those tasks. I want everything that I do to be a form of worship, a form of praise and unto Him, and at the end of that week, I want to enter into His rest and abide with Him.
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